Bumbazzle

My Webcomics

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Comment on ofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, June 24th, 2014, 7:18 amWelcome to Rare Candy Treatment, a webcomic that aims to explore and discover various weird quirks in the Pokéverse and then present its findings as a (hopefully) humorous comic strip. I started this webcomic in August 2010 and ended it in June 2014, which not only explains the sheer difference in quality between the first and the last strip, but also why this site won't receive any further updates. While there are some pages that have user comments visible, the comment feature was removed some time ago and is not available. If you're still eager to tell me something, then feel free to contact me at bum.rct@gmail.com

The entire archive can also be downloaded as a handy zip file, although the site's loading time shouldn't pose too much of an issue. There's also some alt text that can be read for each comic strip if you hover your mouse over it, so there's that too.

Thank you for dropping by this site, and I hope you'll have as much fun reading these strips as I had when I created them.

Comment on No TitleofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, June 20th, 2014, 8:11 amSome of you may feel surprised by this turn of events. The rest of you will most likely silently nod in agreement as you've noticed how this webcomic has been lacking a pulse for quite some time. I had some ideas floating around how to properly end this comic. Like a story arch, a crossover, or maybe even an elaboration on what a Rare Candy treatment actually is. But this update is already long overdue, so I ended up doing something quicker. The above image contains a few references from some of the strips that I to this day still like, and hopefully, something that you associate with this comic as well. Thanks to everyone who has read it, liked it, and spread the word about it, and occasionally shooting me some kind words along the way. You made this project of mine a fun experience, and for that I'm grateful.

First off, the end of this webcomic is not because I've run out of ideas for strips. Secondly, it's not a financial matter either. I have simply come to realise that I've done everything I wanted to with this project, and that I'm ultimately not cut-out for this kind of activity. My oldest visitors may reminisce the days when I updated once a week, maybe even twice. I was fresh out of school then, with no job and nothing but time, so while I was getting my life together, I took the opportunity to also start something new. Now, my life is a bit different, and this comic is becoming more and more like an old friend that I still keep in touch with but rarely have the time to visit. So rather than churning out a few more strips at a rate that rivals snails, I prefer to pull the plug myself and give it a worthy burial. Particularly so as one of the reasons behind its conception was that I didn't know of many Poke-comics that updated often, so the realisation that I've now become one of them didn't sit too well with me.

The site will stay up long enough for it to meet the same fate as any place that no longer gets updated; fall into internet oblivion and then only be discovered through very specific Google search entries. The entirety of the comic archive is also available to be downloaded as a zip file. The thought of running a Kickstarter to fund a printed book did occur to me, but as I have zero experience in that area, we're all probably better off with me not attempting it. I've seen enough brave souls struggle to meet those goals, and I have no intention to increase their number. For those of you feeling uncertain of what the future holds now that there's one Pokemon webcomic less to follow, my Info page has been updated with some of my personal recommendations of webcomics to check out. Some of them may even be Pokémon related.

Even though the above image serves to make the task of thanking everyone involved a much more efficient process, there are still some groups of people that particularly deserve a special mention. I'd like to offer my gratitude to SmackJeeves for running a webcomic system that's easy enough to understand and fit to your liking, as well as containing a community that several times helped me solve a few riddles related to site coding. Thanks also to my followers over at DeviantArt, who were more inclined than others to notice and call me out on flaws in my work, as well as providing praise which urged me to do better. Also gonna do a shoutout to the regulars over at Smeargle's Studio within the Smogon forums, who not only offered advice, but also were there for some quick last-minute feedback before shipping out new strips. No speech of thanks would be complete without bringing up my family, who inspired me to take my drawings further and rarely asked if I ever thought about pursuing a webcomic with a real topic. And lastly, a large 'thank you' goes to the people at Nintendo and Game Freak, who created the very universe that I've selfishly exploited, and then make jokes on their behalf. You guys are alright.

This entry has now become longer than it should be, but when you've been doing something for about four years, it's easy to get sentimental. This is also the point where I offer mandatory congratulations to everyone resisting the temptation to skim everything up to this point, and so I tip my hat in your general direction. As an artist, it is only natural for me to improve over the course of time. Thus, pretty much every strip I've made contains something I now would have done better. Some of the early ones (read: all of them) even make me cringe horribly. So if anything, keeping this webcomic public will be the only thing keeping me humble, as my origins can be seen by everyone. And yet, I still wouldn't have done anything differently. What started out as a modest hobby has now become something I consider a skill, and those who've ever considered a project similar to this one, I can recommend trying it out. At worst, it won't lead anywhere. At best, you end up with a talent you've polished further. My comic has reached its end today, but my experience as an artist hasn't. So wherever I'm taking that interest next, I'll make sure to enjoy the trip.

Comment on Done dealofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, March 9th, 2014, 4:20 pmIn the Pokéball store within Lumiose city / Neo Paris, you can actually see a Masterball on the display behind the clerk. Drives me nuts, it does.

Comment on Seedy TacticsofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, February 17th, 2014, 12:41 pmIn all fairness, I wouldn't sleep either. I also wouldn't really need the third panel since the first two says it all, but I've invested far too much into the three panel format to back down now.

Comment on Thug WildlifeofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, January 6th, 2014, 7:12 amI'm fairly certain that this is the reason other RPG encounters reveal gold upon defeat. The most seasoned Pokémon veterans probably noticed how the two messages are in the wrong order, but I took the liberty of changing that for the sake of the comic, and because the actual order of events is arguable as well.

Also, it's apparently a new year. Congratulations to everyone who survived the transition, and I'll look forward keeping this site barely updated this year to come.

Comment on Quantum utensilsofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, January 6th, 2014, 7:03 am@ck: I have no doubt that Oatmeal and various other sites have a thriving comment section that is both helpful to the authors and guests alike. At the same time, there are other popular comics who keep their discussion elsewhere, and seeing as I'm not able to update this comic as often anymore, it'd be more diffiult to sustain such an active community. And due to the nature of my visitors, I've often found myself moderating the comment section due to arguments not relating to the comic, or those who merely post to wonder where the next comic is. Which in turn made me wonder just how much the comment section benefitted my site.

In the dawn of this webcomic, the comments was an appreicated sight since most people either offered critique or encouraging words, which primarily is the reason why I let the comments remain and instead simply remove the reply button (also because I'm not savvy with coding). I've also never been fully content with the comment system (particularly replying to other people). Coupled with how I nowadays get my feedback through other means, along with the other reasons I've mentioned above, removing the comment link felt like the easiest option.

I'm well aware that people would miss this option, and I too sometimes miss enabling guests to anonymously leave messages. But this is the decision I've made. The comment section was a feature, and not a right, and even if I may consider other means of commenting in the future, this comment section won't be one of them. I do not expect you to agree with me, but I do expect you to respect my choice.

With that said, thank you for voicing your concerns, and for being patient with the next update. The next strip will arrive in just about 3 minutes.

In other news, I've had to endure two successive colds during the course of three weeks, so together with a thick layer of snow, winter truly has arrived over on my end. Stay healthy out there!

Plowing through XY was also a fun experience, where not knowing what my mons would evolve into made for some really tense moments. Got some new favorites, some new questionable species, but I'm overall looking forward to the impact Gen VI has on the series. Things are about to change.

Comment on Team IdlingofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, October 5th, 2013, 2:39 pmNPC opponents have come a long way since the RBY days, but there will always be blokes completely oblivious to team structure.

Comment on TV ShoppedofRare Candy TreatmentBumbazzle, September 8th, 2013, 7:44 amFirst panel may or may not be based on a personal real life incident involving discs and the visible frustration thereof. Got plenty of mixed opinions about this strip, only goes to figure as it's a larger than the usual update, so judge for yourself how it touched you and where.

The release of Pokemon XY is drawing closer, and I'm trying to prepare myself adequately for the occasion. I knew of all the species and their types before playing Pokémon White, but not their moves, and it made for some really refreshing gameplay where I could experiment and explore more than usual. This time around, not knowing about the new species and their abilities either would raise the stakes even higher, which is why I've avoided updates like the plague and is the reason you won't see many strips about the new games in some time. Only exception was the announcement of the new Fairy type, but that one was a bombshell in terms of news so being completely unaware of it would hardly been possible.